When I grow up I want to be a forester

Fever Ray a.k.a. Karin Dreijer Andersson has been playing on my itunes a lot lately.  Ever since I first heard her on my last.fm radio station I couldn't get enough.  I played her debut album over, and over, and over again!  If Gaga has 'little monsters', I'd be Fever Ray's booming wallflower.

In love and blogging...in your nineties

When I read about this couple on CNN my heart melted a little bit. Harry and Barbara Cooper, affectionately known as PopPop and Cutie, have been married for 72 years!  That's not even the best part...they keep a blog about it called The OG's (Original Grandparents).

It's great to see a marriage so strong after so many years. 

He Took The Butter Off Her Knife

During half time of the World Cup yesterday, I walked through the street fair taking place next door to my friend Amanda's house.  I love checking out all the different tents from different vendors, but I don't often come upon something that I really like adore.  Yesterday I did!  I found Bonnie Jones Photography, she's a local artist and she was displaying her work at the fair.  I came away with a great little piece I'm saving for my sister (who doesn't read this blog, so don't worry) and her upcoming birthday. 

I checked out Bonnie's blog, Explore Daily, and saw that she is currently working on a project called Journal Portraits. Having been a the kind of girl who has kept a journal on and off since 3rd grade (all stashed in a box under my bed), most diligently when I'm traveling, I find a strong connection to her images.

The above photograph "He Took The Butter Off Her Knife" corresponds with this entry:

Friday, January 4, 1946

Canada

"She was at the table one day and she reached her knife and helped herself to butter. And her husband took his own knife and stretched his hand out and took the butter off her knife with his knife and put it back on the plate. It was as though the poor thing couldn't have any butter. Maybe it was no wonder she became queer - and maybe she wasn't the only queer one in that family. That was a queer thing to do, to take the butter away from her, right off her knife with his knife."

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*It made my weekend to find something like this in my own backyard, and it also gave me inspiration to keep working diligently on my own photography.

What Else Is There?

Röyksopp - What Else Is There?

{I don't know what more to say...I love this song, this video, this voice.}

Ten off the top

"Unclose your mind. You are not a prisoner. You are a bird in flight, searching the skies for dreams."                  ~Haruki Murakami {from Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World}

Thoughts like that are why Haruki Murakami has held place in my heart as numero uno ever since I first peeled back the pages of the above book over 10 years ago...

As summer surges on, and with a Holiday weekend approaching I find myself thinking about books, books, books!  I have a few in mind to read this summer which I'll share in another post, but first I wanted to share some of my all time favorite reads.  These books are in no particular order other than Murakami's novel, which is what I'd take with me if I were stranded on a desert island and allowed only one book. 

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World ~ Haruki Murakami

One Hundred Years of Solitude ~ Gabriel García Márquez

Stone from the River ~ Ursula Hegi

Geek Love ~ Katherine Dunn

Tipping the Velvet ~ Sarah Waters

Of Human Bondage ~ W. Somerset Maugham

The Grapes of Wrath ~ John Steinbeck

The Alchemist ~ Paulo Coelho

The Fountainhead ~ Ayn Rand

In the Time of the Butterflies ~ Julia Alverez

What about you?  What books do you recommend off the cuff?  I love hearing about the books that inspire others.

Long Shot: 24hr Photo-thon

   

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What could be more fun than an assortment of different people out and about for a 24hr period taking photos of anything and everything?  Not much I think.  It's the Long Shot: 24hr Photo-thon put on by Photo Center NW and it's an event to help support and benefit the center.  Anyone anywhere can join!

My friend Christine, who is a part of the PCNW community, clued me in on this fun event.  It goes from 6pm Friday, April 30th to 6pm, Saturday May 1st.  Above are a few shots from 2009 (the first year of this project).

1. {Lifesavers-5:20pm by Cynthia LaRowe}
2. {Timepiece-12:28pm by Todd Gehman}
3. {Alex-12:12am by Carlos Melgoza}
4. {I'm Ovulating-10:15pm by Bellen Drake}
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Register here.

We do what we can

I have a few projects lined up to keep me thinking creatively throughout Spring/Summer. 

One has to do with diptychs and a lovely and talented friend.  ; )
The others I will share with you as I finish, so long as they turn out okay!

What projects, experiements, adventures are you daydreaming about for your sweet self this summer?

Let's Grow!

I made my first trip to a local bookstore in our area.  I actually went there to order the next book for the The Slow Readers Book Club, which will be Alice I Have Been, by Melanie Benjamin.  When I walked in I quickly browsed the table upfront to see if anything caught my eye.  The Urban Homestead, by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen did just that!

Having recently bought our first home, I am really excited to get a big garden going.  At our last place my husband was much more attentive to the garden, I'd help out when asked but I never really took ownership in it.  This time around I really look forward to being involved all along the way.  We have both agreed that the east side of our house will be a perfect area to create a lush garden.  Its a large space, gets plenty of sun, and that leaves the backyard for entertaining and as wrestling grounds for our dogs. 

My husband likes to joke about how starting a compost bin for our backyard has been a project I have put off for 3 years, but I'm going to make it a reality this year! The book is full of great ideas for composting, mulching and trying to let nature do as it was intended (no pesticides and letting the birds, bees and bugs help out).

The Urban Homestead is about becoming more self-sufficient by using the land you have (whether you rent or own, live in an apartment or even squat) to grow as much of your own food as possible while leaving a smaller impact on the environment.  I want to be more connected with what we eat and I'd like to cut out large supermarket chains as best we can.  Between growing our own veggies and fruit, and taking advantage of the local Farmer's Market I think we can do that quite easily. 

Third time's a charm

I am a big Wes Anderson fan. I have yet to get tired of Bill Murray’s quirky Steve Zissou in The Life Aquatic, and I wish I could experience life as any of The Royal Tenenbaums, just for a day. I love the weirdness that is Bottle Rocket, yet for some reason I had trouble getting into The Darjeeling Limited. I fell asleep the first two times I tried to watch it, most likely due to the fact that I started watching it late at night.

After a busy weekend, my husband and I decided to watch a movie and I was a little bummed when he picked this film because I was sure I'd fall asleep again. Fortunately I made it through and was pleasantly surprised with what I'd missed before. I wouldn't say it's my favorite Anderson movie, but I loved it none the less. The scenery is beautiful, and the interactions between the 3 brothers though subtle are hilarious.

*Aren't these guys just adorable!?*

Next on my list is his latest film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox! Have I mentioned that I’m a HUGE Roald Dahl fan?

To Sweden I must go...

It's official.  I've fallen in love again...

*sigh*

...with Sweden!

I've always loved Swedish pancakes, maybe that's where it all started but today I realized with finality that I must visit Sweden.  Last week while checking out one of my favorite blogs Please Sir, I discovered Anna Hurtig, the amazing photograper from Sweden responsible for the haunting images above as well as many more which you can find here.

Then there is the fact that everytime a song comes on my Lastfm that I really really love, I have to check and see who the artist is, 9 times out of 10 they have been from Sweden!  Give these artists a listen and try and tell me their tunes aren't making sweet love to your ears...

*Miike Snow
*jj

*Lykke Li

*Loney Dear

*The Knife
*Jonathan Johansson

*Peter Bjorn and John

The Golden Age

Spring is nearly around the corner and I can't help but get excited about all the lovely vintage inspired pieces from Urban Outfitters.

They transport you into a different time.  I love watching old movies for that very reason; the styles are so classic and moving.  I wish I could afford to fill my wardrobe with items like these, and find the warm weather to wear them in! 

This little house

We spent the night before Christmas Eve with our good friends Annie and Blain in Seattle.  They live in a cute little house built in the 30's and located in Georgetown (Seattle's oldest continually settled neighborhood).  Much of Georgetown today is warehouses, but there are a few homes squeezed in between, along with some pretty great little 'watering holes'.  

We went to dinner downtown at 'Serious Pie', and it was seriously delicious.  We all chose different personal pizzas; and to be perfectly honest between my delicatta squash, roasted garlic, gorgonzola lucifero and Annie's guanciale, soft egg, and dandelion greens it was a close tie!

Annie & Blain's house has the most adorable collection of vintage items spread throughout.  I sometimes feel like I'm in a museum as I walk from room to room peeking at all of their treasures. My favorite item would have to be the Travellers opera glasses.They even have chickens in the back yard and we are often sent home with a bowl of pastel colored eggs. 

I think I have house envy!

Luminous Lu

I am loving the photography of Ana Luísa Pinto.

I browsed through her flick photostream and these images above were some of my favorites because they remind me of the excitement and anticipation I often feel around the Holidays.  They are small treasures and sweet treats, carefree and yet thoughtful.  The bright colors in these photographs reassure me that the New Year will have many good surprises in store as long as I take one day at a time and don't let my worries or fears determine the path I take.

*You can find more of Lu on her flickr: Luminous Lu 

and on her blog: Luminous Photography

Elle Moss

I am completely in love with the photographic work of Elle Moss.  Her images create a surreal world in which I'd like to go vacation in for a few weeks.  Most of the work found here is self portraiture.  Over here she has inspiring images that remind me of the look and style of my favorite movie Amélie.  Elle Moss is one busy gal, she has two blogs, two Etsy shops and a Flickr photostream that I could get lost in for hours.  The colors, the adorable outfits, trinkets and the soft lighting which surround most of her work makes me want to cry!  

Thank you Elle for your gorgeous work and allowing me to post it here!

Lovely ladies

I stayed up late last night watching the movie: Secretary.  I remember the buzz surrounding it when it came out some years back but I'd never actually seen it.  It's just another reason to love my girl Maggie Gyllenhaal; she is a great actress and an inspiration with her quirky style. 

I can't think of her without thinking of my other two favorite gals...Zooey Daschanel and Chloë Sevigny.  All three of these women impress me with their acting abilities and style choices.  Yeah-ya for all the funky free-stylin' ladies out there!

{ Images found here and here and here-here }